West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper is incredulous about the further delays to the publication of Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s inspection report by the Care Quality Commission.

Seven months have passed since the inspection concluded. MP Rosie had been told publication of the report was imminent but even now that has been delayed for a further two weeks.

This most recent delay results from a request from Bridgewater’s chief executive who won’t be around for the next two weeks, which Rosie Cooper has described as “unbelievable”. She has previously pressed the CQC to issue Bridgewater’s inspection report ahead of the decision to award the contract for the £80 million Liverpool community health services contract because Bridgewater’s only previous inspection had been part of the CQC’s pilot inspection, not the more in-depth inspection regime they now use.

Speaking about the most current delay to the eagerly anticipated inspection report, West Lancashire MP Rosie Cooper said:

“It is simply unbelievable that Bridgewater have been allowed to delay the publication of their CQC inspection report by a further two weeks, when people have been made to wait seven months already.

“Why are they waiting? Have they got something to hide?

“Bridgewater have lost some local contracts recently so if the report is critical then they may rightly fear that it will detrimentally affect the confidence of Liverpool residents that they are able to provide a ‘good service’.

“It is astonishing and, I think, telling that the chief executive doesn’t feel confident enough to allow his deputy or the medical director to take the lead, and reveals a lack of depth and experience in the management team at Bridgewater.

“It is worrying that an organisation set to take over running community health services in Liverpool doesn’t seem to have the management strength to cope with the increased demands.

“The time has come for Bridgewater Community Healthcare to answer some questions. Let’s start with what have they got to hide?”